Fig. 6: Simulation snapshots of the cargo before and after the external force.
From: Maximal response to a mechanical leader at critical group size in ant collectives
The figure shows the ants' cargo dynamics and microscopic behavior in response to external forces for the largest group size with \({N}_{\max }=60\) ants. A–D Show the cargo’s response to a strong external force of 0.4 mN, resulting in a switch in its original direction of motion. The simulation snapshots of the cargo with ants attached are shown in (A). In (B), the angular position of the cargo is shown as a function of time. C Shows the total force exerted by the ants in the x-direction. D Shows the number of puller ants attached to the front and back of the cargo. E–H Show the cargo’s response to a weaker external force of 0.2 mN. In this case, the cargo resists the external force and continues along its initial direction of motion, as seen in the simulation snapshots in (E). In (F), the angular position of the cargo is shown as a function of time. The total force the ants exert in the x-direction is shown in (G), while in (H), the number of puller ants attached to the front and back of the cargo is shown. The external force is introduced at time t = 0 s, acting in the opposite direction of the cargo’s angular position. The vertical dashed lines in (B–D, F–H) denote the time stamps corresponding to the simulation snapshots shown in (A, E). Source data are provided in the Source data file.
